Wisden obituary
The Rev. The Hon. Dr Edward Lyttelton, youngest but one and last survivor of eight sons of the 4th Lord Lyttelton, seven of whom played for Eton during the period 1857 to 1875, died on January 26 at Lincoln. Born on July 23, 1855, he was 86 years old. Less tall than some of his brothers, he was nearly six feet and well proportioned--in fact the ideal build for sport. Great at the Field and Wall games at Eton, he played Association for England against Scotland in 1878. He excelled at Fives and did well at the Long Jump and Weight Putting, but his great triumphs came on the cricket field. He played for Eton 1872 to 1874, finishing as captain, when his 58 went a long way towards beating Harrow by five wickets at Lord's, and there followed more brilliant achievements during four years in the Cambridge XI. Alternately he knew defeat and victory, the second success over Oxford coming when he led his side to victory by 238 runs; he contributed 53 and 10. His average of 29 for the season was remarkable in those days. That match came in the course of a wonderful experience for Edward Lyttelton at Lord's. With scores of 44 and 66 he helped the Gentlemen to beat the Players by 206 runs; the match produced 1,066 runs, the only aggregate of four figures that season. Then E. Lyttelton led Cambridge to victory by an innings and 72 runs over the Australian team. This concluded the Cambridge programme of eight matches, all won decisively against powerful opponents, four with an innings to spare. Edward Lyttelton was unlucky, for, after hitting three fours and a three, he was run out. Before these three games Edward Lyttelton scored the only hundred hit against that first Australian team captained by D. W. Gregory. The match holds a special place in the history of the game for several reasons. It took place soon after the dismissal of M.C.C. for 19 runs by the Australians, who in a victory attained in one day placed themselves in the front rank of cricket. On the morning of the Middlesex match the brothers Grace came to Lord's and fetched W. Midwinter, a member of the Australian team, to play at The Oval for Gloucestershire, the county of his birth, for whom he had appeared in the previous season. Then I. D. Walker, captain of an entirely amateur Middlesex team, took the unusual course in those days of putting theAustralians in to bat--the weather was fine after much rain. The county replied to a total of 165 with 111 for the loss of four men, A. J. Webbe making 50; but the innings closed for 11 more runs. T. W. Garrett altogether taking seven wickets for 38 runs. The Australians maintained their advantage, and Middlesex, wanting 284 to win, fared lamentably, losing four wickets with the total 14. Edward Lyttelton at this crisis scored 37 before stumps were drawn with the total 79 for six wickets.

Wisden describes how on the Saturday, in weather so hot that the glass stood at 105 in the sun, Edward Lyttelton hit so brilliantly that he made 10 runs in an over (four balls at that time) from Allan and 12 in an over from Spofforth, 31 runs in 14 minutes, and 57 out of 69 in 41 minutes, before Spofforth bowled H. R. Webbe for 17. E. Lyttelton went on hitting in superb style until last out to a catch at slip for 113, his 76 runs that morning having been made in 74 minutes. The very finest hitting display made in 1878. The Australians won by 98 runs.

In 1882 he was in the Cambridge Past and Present team that beat the Australians at Portsmouth by 20 runs.

Splendid in style, Edward Lyttelton cut both late and square and drove to the off in the true Etonian manner with great power, and was a dashing field at long-leg or middle wicket off. He played sometimes for Worcestershire, and continued to assist Middlesex and other sides until 1882, when he gave up first-class cricket. He hit many hundreds in minor cricket, and in 1877 for Cambridge Long Vacation Club made 228 against M.C.C.

After being an assistant master at Wellington and Eton, he became headmaster at Haileybury until he returned to Eton in 1905, remaining headmaster until 1916, when he retired.